Beer & Pie July: Which pie and beer combo truly reigns supreme

This time of year means only one thing for Radio Hauraki's Jeremy Wells and Matt Heath. Photo / Supplied

This time of year means only one thing for Radio Hauraki's Jeremy Wells and Matt Heath - Beer & Pie July.

For every day this month, the Radio Hauraki Breakfast duo work their way through NZ's finest beer and pie combinations. Why, you ask? Well it all started four years ago as a rhyme that rolled off the tongue, now it's grown into a nationwide movement with bars and restaurants around New Zealand taking park.

Each week we will cut through the mince and cheese and give you the best of week as decided by Jeremy and Matt.

WEEK 1

Jeremy:

Last Monday's combo spoke to me like none other, it was almost like they knew what I had been up to the two previous days. The beer was a Mac's Green Beret Indian Pale Ale and the pie was a Pork Belly and Apple creation from Scratch Bakery.

I had just returned from Hauraki's Party in the Mouth in Greymouth and was teetering on the edge both physically and emotionally, so the Pork Belly and Apple pie more than hit the spot.

The sweet nature of the apple and tenderness of the pork was like an encased anti-anxiety prescription, I was instantly comforted and in a happy place. The Xanax of pies was washed down with an aroma explosion that put me right back into the mood I had grown accustomed to over the weekend – euphoric.

Week 1 was full of delightful suprises. Photo / Supplied

Matt:

There was only one combination that stood out last week and it spoke to me on multiple levels. Firstly, the beer was from my home town of Dunedin, Emerson's Breweries Hazed & Confused.

The haze craze has taken over the land of the long white mince and cheese and Emerson's has joined the party by crashing through the roof and landing feet first on the coffee table without spilling a drop.

The funky, mind-bending design of the can truly reflects what's inside, a bloody good time! The pie match was also something that resonated with me. I had recently experienced a fusion of two cuisines that I thought would never work; curry and pizza.

Outrageous I know, but man it worked. It was basically a naan with curry on it- genius. So to match the Hazed & Confused I had another epiphany, The Roti Brothers Thai Beef Cheek pie, that's right a roti pie. Using the soft buttery roti paratha for the encasing of the pie it was a true explosion of flavour. God, how I love Beer & Pie July.